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Alex Kanellis changes his mind and will stay at Regina

By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa - The decision to leave Regina High School was more difficult than Alex Kanellis had expected.

Because less than a week after accepting the job as strength and conditioning coach for the Iowa wrestling team, Kanellis has changed his mind and will stay at Regina where he runs the strength and conditioning program for all the sports teams and coaches football.

Kanellis issued a statement late Tuesday afternoon.

"I have chosen to stay at Regina and withdraw my name from the Iowa wreslting job for personal reasons," Kanellis said. "I have a huge amount of respect for the Iowa program and was treated extremely well throughout the interview and hiring process by coach Brands and the entire Iowa staff. My reasons for staying at Regina are my own and I will continue to be a huge fan of Iowa wrestling. My apologies go to both the Iowa wrestling and my family at Regina for all of this confusion."

Kanellis, a former Iowa football player, has been at Regina since 2010 and has played a key role in Regina's success in multiple sports, including football where he coaches the offensive line.

Kanellis called the Iowa job a "no-brainer" while being interviewed late last week, but he also said it would be tough to leave Regina.

“It really started feeling like I could be at Regina for the rest of my life, just kind of presumed it,” Kanellis said. “But it’s too good to pass up. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to be a part of. So it’s a no-brainer for me.”

Or so he thought.

Rumors surfaced this past weekend that Kanellis was having second thoughts about leaving Regina.

It appears this was solely Kanellis' decision and that the Iowa wrestling coaches were surprised that he changed his mind.